ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE US AND UKRAINE
MISSING EVIDENCE AND A REVERSED LOGIC
Russia requested a formal consultative meeting under BWC Article V on 29 June 2022 to present its case that the United States and Ukraine are in breach of the convention. On the basis of Russian evidence presented so far, neither the United Nations, independent media nor independent experts have concluded that there is any indication that Ukraine’s biological activities and its public health labs support anything other than peaceful purposes. Ukraine, unlike Russia, makes its annual Confidence Building Measure submissions to the BWC publicly available.
Consultation procedures under Article V are generally viewed as a way to discuss issues at a lower level before escalating to the UN Security Council. Russia has reversed this logic and, having failed to gain any substantive support in the UN Security Council or the UN General Assembly for its allegations, appears intent on airing its allegations formally within the BWC.
TIMELINE
7 OCT 2021
The Foreign Ministers of Russia and China release a joint statement on the margins of the UN General Assembly expressing “serious concerns” about US overseas military biological activities and allege that over 200 “opaque and non-transparent” American labs are deployed outside the United States.
22 NOV 2021
Russia and China make statements to the BWC Meeting of States Parties raising concerns about US and NATO allies’ “military biomedical activities,” “especially in countries near to us.” The United States response calls the claims “truly appalling distortions of fact.” The US also publishes a working paper to the meeting on its biological threat reduction programme.
JANUARY 2022
The United States issues several fact sheets and youtube videos providing facts and figures about its biological threat reduction programme
4 FEBRUARY 2022
The Presidents of China and Russia release a joint statement on the margins of the Olympic Winter Games, expressing concern about US non-compliance with the BWC.
24 FEBRUARY 2022
Russia starts a full-scale attack on Ukraine. The hashtag #USBiolabs starts trending on Twitter.
10 MARCH 2022
The United States issues a youtube video on its biological threat reduction programme.
11 MARCH 2022
The UN Security Council meets to discuss Russia’s allegations of military biological activities in Ukraine. The High Representative of Disarmament Affairs asserts that the UN is not aware of any bioweapons programmes.
18 MARCH 2022
The UN Security Council meets a second time to discuss Russia’s allegations of military biological activities in Ukraine.
1 APRIL 2022
Russia circulates a note verbale to Security Council members with material claimed to relate to military biological programmes in Ukraine.
4 APRIL 2022
Russia, China, the United States and other states parties make statements to the BWC Preparatory Committee on Russia’s allegations.
6 APRIL 2022
Russia hosts an Arria-Formula meeting of the UN Security Council.
19 APRIL 2022
Russian representative host a media briefing at the United Nations on US military biological activities in Ukraine.
2 MAY 2022
The United States issues a factsheet on China’s efforts to amplify the Kremlin’s voice on Ukraine.
13 MAY 2022
Russia circulates a note verbale to the UN Secretary-General and Security Council members with additional material claimed to relate to military biological programmes in Ukraine. The UN Security Council meets a third time to consider new claims by Russia.
18 MAY 2022
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweets that Russia is “getting ready to activate the #BTWC mechanisms, according to which the States Parties are to co-operate in solving any problems which may arise in relation to the objective of the Convention & co-operate in carrying out investigations of possible violations.”
9 JUNE 2022
The United States issues a factsheet on WMD threat reduction efforts with Ukraine, Russia and other Former Soviet Union countries.
13 JUNE 2022
Russia requests bilaterally that the United States answer “questions” about its bioactivities in Ukraine.
29 JUNE 2022
Russia calls for a formal consultative meeting under BWC Article V.
JULY 2022
Russia and the United States issue notes verbales on the allegations and the formal consultative process to Geneva missions of BWC states parties.
27 JULY 2022
The United Kingdom chairs the preparatory meeting for the formal consultative process.
26 AUG 2022
The formal consultative process is opened.
KEY MESSAGES
- Triggering Article V is an attempt by the Kremlin to distract attention away from Russia’s unprovoked military invasion and its continuing war against Ukraine.
- The potential consequences of Russia’s allegations are significant. They may erode confidence in essential public and animal health infrastructure, and significantly undermine global biosafety and biosecurity efforts.
- If Russia is effective at framing US development assistance as a form of noncompliance with the BWC, the Article V process could seriously undermine development aid and cooperation efforts on peaceful biological research under BWC Article X.